Andrew j



' (No Model.) I

A. J. MQGORD.

8 BUCKLE. No. 392,962. Patented'Nov. 13, 1888.

i i-inseam, mwewtou JMJW, W g/56m J @51 ,v M; @Hwr/nm UNITED STATESANDREW J. MOOORD, OF LOUISVILLE,

KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALE TO J. F. MOGREGOR, OF COLUMBIA,TENNESSEE.

BUCKLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 392,962, dated November13, 1888.

Application filed June 28, 1888. Serial No. 277,943.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ANDREW J. McOoRD, a citizen of the United States,residing at Louisville,in the county of Jefferson and State of Kentucky,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Buckle andShield; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invcntion,such as will enable others skilled inthe art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to buckles for harness; and its object is acombined buckle and shield adapted to connect the hip-strap with thebreeching-braces in such a manner that the horses tail and the reinswill not be caught at the juncture of these parts.

To this end rnyinvention consists in afixedtongue buckle and a shieldall in one piece, constructed as hereinafter described and claimed,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in Which- Figure I isa front elevation of a combined buckle and shield according to myinvention. Fig. ll is a side elevation of the same, and Fig. III is anend view thereof,looking downward upon it.

5 represents the two side bars, 6 the upper end bar, 7 the lower endbar, and 8 the cross-bar,of the buckle. 9 is a stud standing from theface of the cross-bar at its center, serving as a fixed tongue to thebuckle. This buckle is to be placed on the hipstrap of harness, and itis provided with side loops, 10, for attaching the breeching-braces. Theupper end bar, 6, is spread outward and upward and slanted backward andmade with thin smooth edges. The lower end bar, 7, is similarly extendeddownward and backward, its edges be- (No model.)

ing made thin and smooth. These broad bars, shaped as described,constitute the shield, which is a convex plate, here shown asheartshaped. By being thin and having their edges bent backward theypinch closely upon the hip-strap and prevent the horses tail from beingcaught above the buckle, and the lower bar presses so closely upon thefree end of the hip-strap as to lay it back flat against the horse,where it usually projects outward and catches the reins. To carry outthe same idea fully,I curve the buckle backward at its sides, leavingthe center the fullest, thereby carrying the outer bars, 11, of theloops 10 back to the plane of the cross-bar 8, or a little to the rearof it. By this means the smooth finished surface of the shield isinterposed between all the parts which usually project and anythingmoving over them, thus avoiding the danger and annoyance consequent tocatching the reins or the horses tail while in service. The shield-l1ereshown heart -shaped--may be given any fanciful or ornamental form.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I believe to be new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is the following:

A buckle comprising a convexo concave plate having the top portion, 6,and the bottom portion, 7, connected by the parallelside bars, 5 5, andthe oblique side bars, 11 11, having the side openings, 10 10, and thecen- 7o tral opening crossed by the bar 8, having the stud 9,substantially as shown and described.

' In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

ANDREl/V J. MOCORD.

Witnesses:

T. E. WILsoN, J NO. Y. RoUT.

